Several players agree to restructure deals

In an aggressive bid to get under the projected salary cap of $122 million, the Dallas Cowboys in the past 24 hours restructured the contracts of several players, including Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten and Pro Bowl pass rusher DeMarcus Ware.

The Cowboys began the week roughly $20 million over the salary cap, but the moves have pared about $19 million, according to ProFootballTalk.com. The deadline to get under the cap is March 12, which marks the start of free agency.

Guards Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau also agreed to restructure their deals, according to the team’s web site. Cornerback Brandon Carr also restructured the five-year, $50.1 million deal he signed with the team before last season, saving the club $10.5 million under the cap, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

The Cowboys aren’t expected to be big players in free agency, although owner Jerry Jones indicated last week that the club could target a “guard/center type.”